EDUCATION: Graduated from North Syracuse Central High School, North Syracuse, New York, in 1964; received a bachelor of arts from Stanford University in 1968, and a doctorate in Medicine from the University of Florida in 1975. He did graduate work in biology at the University of Florida from 1969 to 1971, and did graduate work in Engineering at the University of Houston from 1978 to 1980.

MARITAL STATUS: Married to the former Anna L. Tingle of St. Albans, New York. Her mother, Mrs. Elfreide Tingle, resides in San Pedro, California. Her father, Mr. Riley F. Tingle, is deceased.

CHILDREN: Kristin Anne, July 29, 1983, Kara Lynne, January 10, 1989.

ORGANIZATIONS: Diplomate of the American Board of Emergency Medicine and a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians.

SPECIAL HONORS: American Astronautical Society Victor A. Prather Award for Outstanding Achievement in the field of Extravehicular Activity (1985), the FAI Komarov Diploma (1985), the NASA Space Flight Medal (1985), and the NASA Exceptional Service Medal (1988). Dr. Fisher has also received Group Achievement Awards for EMU and MMU Development (1983), and for Payload Assist Module (PAM) Software Development and Vehicle Integration (1983). In 1986 he was named an ad hoc member of the U.S. Air Force Scientific Advisory Board, and was appointed a member of the NASA Medicine Policy Board in 1987.

EXPERIENCE: After medical school, Dr. Fisher completed a surgical residency from 1975 to 1977 at UCLA's Harbor General Hospital in Torrance, California. He entered private practice in emergency medicine from 1977 to 1980, while serving as an instructor in medicine at the University of South Florida. Dr. Fisher is currently practicing emergency medicine at a hospital in the greater Houston area in conjunction with his astronaut duties

He has logged over 2,000 hours in prop, rotary-wing, jet aircraft and spacecraft.

NASA EXPERIENCE: Selected as an astronaut candidate by NASA in May 1980, Dr. fisher became an astronaut in August 1981. His technical assignments to date have included: scientific equipment operator for high altitude research on the WB57-F aircraft (1980-1981); astronaut medical support for the first four Shuttle missions (1980-1982); astronaut office representative for Extravehicular Mobility Unit (space suit) and Extravehicular Activity (EVA) procedures and development, including thermal vacuum testing of the suit (1981-1984); astronaut office representative for the Payload Assist Module (PAM-D) procedures and development (1982-1983); astronaut office representative for Shuttle Mission Simulator (SMS) development (1983); support crewman for STS-8; CAPCOM for STS-8 and STS-9; Remote Manipulator System (RMS) hardware and software development team (1983); Manned Maneuvering Unit (MMU) development team (1983); deputy director of NASA Government-furnished and Contractor-furnished equipment (1982-1983); Chief of Astronaut Public Appearances (1985-1987); Head, Astronaut Office Space Station Manned Systems Division (1987-present).

Dr. Fisher was a mission specialist on STS 51-I which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 27, 1985. The mission was acknowledged as the most successful Space Shuttle mission yet flown. The crew deployed three communications satellites, the Navy SYNCOM IV-4, the Australian AUSSAT, and American Satellite Company's ASC-1. The crew also performed a successful on-orbit rendezvous with the ailing 15,400 lb SYNCOM IV-3 satellite, and two EVA's (space walks) by Dr. Fisher and Dr. van Hoften to repair it, including the longest space walk in history. STS 51-I completed 112 orbits of the Earth before landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on September 3, 1985.

With the completion of this flight Dr. Fisher has logged over 170 hours in space, including 11 hours and 52 minutes of Extravehicular Activity.

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT: In addition to training for future space flight, Dr. Fisher currently serves as the Astronaut Office representative on space crew selection and standards for Space Station.

NASA Group 9 - 1980 Requirement: pilot, engineer, and scientist astronauts for space shuttle flights. Nickname: 19+80 - The two European astronauts in the group were not considered by the Americans to be part of the 'official' group. This led to a scene at graduation. More...

STS The Space Transportation System (Space Shuttle) was conceived originally as a completely reusable system that would provide cheap, routine access to space and replace all American and civilian military launch vehicles. Crippled by technological overreach, political compromise, and budget limitations, it instead ended up costing more than the expendable rockets it was to have replaced. STS sucked the money out of all other NASA projects for half a century. The military abandoned its use after the Challenger shuttle explosion in the 1980's. More...